Kentucky 21 @ Auburn 14: Postmortem
by Glenn Logan on Oct 17, 2009 11:19 PM EDT
in Kentucky Wildcats Football
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PrintI knew we had a shot at this game. I said it early in the year, and I believed it coming in. This UK team, despite it's issues, is a very tough out for any team not named Alabama or Florida in the SEC. That's real. That's the truth.
I want to thank Auburn for their effort. This is a big loss for them, and the rest of the season does them no favors. But they played hard, if imperfectly and with a ton of terribly costly penalties that are usually the province of Kentucky. I'm not going to blow sunshine up their hind parts -- for some reason, the roles were reversed this week and it was the Tigers who shot themselves in the foot. Auburn had a chance to win this game, and they surrendered it with a whimper, rather than a growl. Gene Chizik will have a lot to talk about after this one.
But for the Wildcats, it was a much-needed victory after a very tough four-game stretch that saw them lose their All-American cornerback and starting quarterback to injury, and prompted Rich Brooks to start a true freshman at QB in an SEC road game against a team who has a 15-game winning streak against the Wildcats. I'm going to say it is an understatement to say that the Wildcats had the deck stacked firmly against them.
Let's be honest -- the defense really was the difference in this game. Against the #2 offense in the SEC, Kentucky played about as well as it is possible to play against them defensively. UK denied Chris Todd, a Kentuckian from Elizabethtown, any hope of having a good game. Todd helped out a lot by making pretty much nothing but poor throws, and UK made the Tigers pay by playing solid defense.
I can go on and on and on, but I will settle for bullet points, as usual:
- Morgan Newton may not have done that much, but he showed why he was such a highly touted player with his strong arm and powerful body. He is a freshman, and it showed.
- Will Fidler gets the game ball, not because of any amazing stuff, but because of the circumstances in which he managed to excel. He showed terrific leadership, and made a huge drive-saving fourth-down play that I will remember a long time.
- Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke don't need game balls -- they could win it every game. They do what they do, and frankly, they did it tonight.
- How much better is Randall Burden with Paul Warford on the field? Amazing.
- Micah Johnson is a creature from another world. He is like the alien in Predator -- indomiatble.
- Winston Guy needs a butt-kicking. He hits a guy, but refuses to wrap them up. If I'm Steve Brown, I'm going to go all Coach Boone on his butt. He is way too good to be giving up big plays when he hits hard but fails to finish.
- Our D-line has played better, but to their credit, they rarely lost containment. That's why Auburn had very few big plays.
- Chris Matthews is getting better every game. He is on the same path as Stevie Johnson, only a little earlier.
- Sam Maxwell is a stud. He made so many great form tackles, open field an otherwise, I lost count.
- Our special teams made two mistakes, and about five great plays. On balance, I'd say that is pretty good, most games. But both their mistakes resulted in an Auburn TD -- the missed blocking assignment on the field goal, and the pathetic Ryan Tydlacka punt.
- The most unspoken great player in SEC history, at least the part I remember, is John Conner. He just de-cleats people when he blocks. I wish he could play for UK forever.
- The UK offensive line might be the best in the league. Senior O-line players make one heck of a difference.
- Kentucky had one (1) penalty. With a freshman quarterback, or with a long-time backup. That's gobsmacking.
That's enough. Add your observations to the celebration.
Is this a great weekend or what?? Go, 'CATS!
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Hoorah
I’m mobile and can’t post much more than that, but I will say that this was a very satisfying win!
Go Big Blue!
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Oct 17, 2009 11:26 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Great weekend....absolutely
Our Wildcats are the best !!!!
GO BIG BLUE
:-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
and a nit pick
Tru, its Chris Todd from Etown, not Cox.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Oct 17, 2009 11:28 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yeah.
I buggered that up. Sorry.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Glenn Logan on Oct 17, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Coach Brooks post game show
said Neloms had the flu. Warford’s play all the more important, without him we would have a corner that ranks below Neloms!
So many "Game Ball" candidates!
Starting with the coaching staff. And the quarterback play. And the defense. And Cobb— as always.
But mine goes to: The offensive line.
A great win! I am very proud to be a Kentucky fan tonight….
by Sonic on Oct 17, 2009 11:36 PM EDT reply actions
What a Game!
The announcers kept calling UK fiesty…I think that is a pretty accurate. Kudos to our running backs and front 7 on defense. What a game they played! Unbelievable! But I’m sorry, Randall Cobb is the real deal. UK has never had a player of his caliber in my lifetime. I love that kid. When we need play, he basically puts the team on his back and wills his way to make the big play. When is the last time we beat a team like Auburn on the road?? I can’t even remember. Has to be in the 1980’s. Although I didn’t like some of the play calls, great job by the coaching staff getting the team prepared to play. I can’t wait to be there next Sat when we take on La Monroe. GO CATS!
by uk_cantbestopped on Oct 17, 2009 11:37 PM EDT reply actions
Coach Brooks is asking the fans
to come out next Saturday in big support for our guys with the non-conference game.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I can't wait
until next Saturday! I have season tickets. Game is at 7 pm next saturday. They deserve a BIG ROWDY HOME CROWD after this win! I believe a big crowd will show up.
by uk_cantbestopped on Oct 17, 2009 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions
If anyone is interested
ESPNU is replaying the AU/UK game tomorrow at noon.
by uk_cantbestopped on Oct 17, 2009 11:54 PM EDT up reply actions
And Keeneland is open, so this is probably the only chance this
season to do the Keeneland/football game tangent. I think the rest of the home games are noon games.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.
A True Team Victory!!
Last week was a team loss and this was in every way a true team victory!!! Think the staff figured out that Cobb HAS to touch the ball in the redzone?
Just maybe......
They listened to coach last night too. I official became a cal fan today when i saw his speech. It was a great challenge to us all. I think the football team exhibited that tonight. They played as a team and won as a team.
Kentucky bretheren united once again! Thanks Cal!
by tenken on Oct 17, 2009 11:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Randall Cobb is the Chuck Norris of UK
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Randall Cobb doesn't sleep, he waits
I know a ton of them….
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Crop Cirlcles are messages from Randall Cobb that sometimes corn just needs to lay the F#$% down
by aidanpryde18 on Oct 18, 2009 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Randall Cobb once visited the Virgin Islands...
They are now simly known as “The Islands.”
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Randall Cobb does not get frost bite
He bites frost
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
The chemistry department at UK had to change the periodic table...
Randall Cobb only recognizes the element of surprise.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Randall Cobb Can believe its not butter
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Randall Cobb CAN eat just one Lay's potato chip.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
So this remided me of this website
http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/
And my favorite is:
When an episode of Walker Texas Ranger was aired in France, the French surrendered to Chuck Norris just to be on the safe side.
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
Yeah... that's always fun
Randall Cobb can divide by zero.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Randall Cobb is not hung like a horse...
horses are hung like Randall Cobb
First time I shot her, shot her in the side.
Hard to watch her suffer, but with the second shot she died...
I'm glad you (Tru) gave John Conner is his due!
The man is a beast! It was his great block that gave Randall Cobb his late TD.
Great win!
Fantastic b-day present for yours truly! I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Cats play tonight.
by BlueThruNThru on Oct 18, 2009 12:08 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
From a Bama fan
Thank you, thank you a million times over for (re-)exposing the Boogs. Y’all gave us the toughest game we’ve had this year until tonight (and I’m including VT) and should have a lot of respect for this team, as I do. Good luck the rest of the year.
Thanks for the kind words rtr
It was a win we won’t soon forget. Good luck to the Tide the rest of the year.
Great win
Its been to long since we laid the law down on the war eagles. O line, O line , O line! Hats off to you men. This one feels good people, and on the same weekend as the new era in ky bball tipped off….life doesn’t get much sweeter here in the bluegrass!
Hi. Just wanted to drop in and congrat you guys on this big win.
Too bad we couldn’t take out the other half of the Yellowhammer State.
Anyways, good luck with the rest of your year. As I said last week, all teams that still remain on your schedule are beatable. Take it to ’em.
Garnet and Black Attack: A Blog by and for Gamecocks Fans.
Great work Tru!
I always love reading the post mortem when we win! Let’s carry on the wins! Somebody follow me up…
Wwwwwoooooaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!…
C…!
by BlueThruNThru on Oct 18, 2009 3:58 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
A!
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Oct 18, 2009 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Now the Cats Have Given Me More Than Cautious Optimism
Not to get carried away, but all of the games left on the schedule are winnable as long as the Cats continue to work hard and improve. And I believe they will. Yes, I’m including the visit to Georgia and the Kiffins’ visit to Lexington. I believe a 9-3 record would be a fitting reward for this team.
i put a poll in fanposts
lets see how many fans agree with you!
only one rule in my house - uk has to be your favorite college bball team
by memphis wildcat on Oct 18, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Let's finish out the season with a good bowl bid
and win it. Four straight bowl wins from a program barely in the middle of its conference will say a lot about the SEC.
No matter where you're at, there you are
I am not sure
I agree with your Chris Matthews assessment. There were several passes he could have held on to and will need to make such plays if we are to win some of the tough games ahead. I also thought he didn’t show the effort I would have liked to have seen on the deep throw by Newton. That ball was just one yard in front of him. Don’t you think Randall Cobb wouldn’t have dove to try and catch that? I do think he is coming along but we need much more.
We played one hell of a game last night.....but let's not get too overly wound up yet
we played almost mistake free football last night……we have not done that all year. Let’s make sure it was not a fluke…..we still have two unproven(yes, they both played decent, but it was the ground game that made our night last night) QB’s, we have guys hurt, and there is still the chance the flu runs through this team as well. We can make the 7 win mark and get our bowl bid with just a little luck…..let’s see how these guys progress. I for one was very impressed last night with their ability to play together. That was something they had NOT been doing. Get Matthews on the ball, get him to learn how to catch a ball that isn’t perfect, and give us another weapon and I will feel a little better. Fidler impressed me with his ability to come in and make a difference. Newton played SMART football last night, and that is what Brooks & Co. wanted to see from him. Matthews makes a little better effort and the kid has a 100 yd night and throws for a TD.
All in all the win was very impressive. We have to prove we can play impressive week in and week out.
Kids played really tough. Congrats Cats, you earned this one.
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Helmet Sticker For Brooks
ESPN recognizes UK’s character and Brooks contribution.
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."
—Thomas Jefferson
What a team win.
I must admit that I have never been as proud of our football team as I am right now. Playing from behind, we made Auburn step on their own tail, and then gutted it out. Right on Cats!
Great win
SEC road wins are impressive in my book.The future looks bright with Newton,guy has got a cannon.
Off Topic-anyone seen kykat around lately,suprised she has not posted this weekend with madness and the big football win?
she hasn't posted in about a month......hope things are okay :-)
It worries me a little…..
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
we live in the same town
but I dont know her name, so, I wouldn’t know if something had happened
that would be great ABC
it can’t hurt. Tell her we hope things are okay :-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I Got it Right
I said it would be a happy night for cat fans if the Defense came to play and the Big Blue D didn’t let me down. Great great game by Warford coming back from injury. Fidler brought in just enough of a passing threat to keep us from getting those 3 and outs and open the run up a little more. Newton needs to keep practicing with his throws and get better, but a heck of a game from him to being a freshman playing on the road in the SEC. Overall just terrific.
My worry now is UK getting to confident. Georgia is still Georgia and Tennessee is still Tennessee. But if UK keeps it’s head screwed on tight they might could win out.
I came into the this game....
…..thinking that Kentucky was looking at maybe a 5-7 finish, at best, this year. Unfortunately, what I saw last night was a Wildcat team that FORCED ITS WILL on my Tigers, in their own back yard. It was an impressive victory for Kentucky. I shoveled the dirt on that grave way too soon!
…..I think Kentucky has a good chance, now, of giving Rich Brooks 4 bowl wins in a row. Great job, Wildcats!
Bowl Predictions - Week 6
UK vs UConn in PapaJohn, Birmingham. Gators vs Horns in championship.
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."
—Thomas Jefferson
I like our odds in that match-up
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
penalties
KY had no penalties or turnovers which is amazing with two (or three) different quarterbacks, including a true freshman.
Did anyone see this..?
Awful story out of Connecticut, hours after they beat Louisville…
Steelers fan 1st! UK is my 2nd love.
Sad.....really sad.....makes you thankful to not lose one of our own.
But there have been a lot of robberies on campus lately……
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
That is just horrible.
To hear things like this happening is just sickening. Why these low life assholes feel it necessary to ruin others lives is beyond me. I wish the best for that players family.
On the lighter side it is great to finally get that win that was long overdue. Way to get it done Cats! Rest of the season looks to get lighter so we can only hope the best for our blue nation.
Yeah ...
… I found it this morning (I put up the BBDM before I read this) and linked it. What a tragic situation.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
First BCS Poll
Gators and Tide 1-2; Horns, Boise and Bearcats follow. LSU only other SEC in Top 10.
Bama tops AP, Gators #1 Coaches.
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread."
—Thomas Jefferson
Now that I've read all the comments on a Monday morning
I find it humorous that we went all weekend without a single comment from some of the more prominent Negetive Nancies of the site. Intriguing that they like to moan and groan and make witty comments like “Burnfart” and talk about how Brooks was and still is the wrong man for the job… but a big win comes around and they stay quiet.
I’m a realist and I’m not ready to annoint UK as a 9-3 team, but it must be a truly miserable existence when you enjoy negetivity so much that you can’t celebrate a big win from your team.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Heh.
Well, that’s nothing new, here or anywhere else. I prefer just to enjoy a big win, and look forward to a couple of games that should give us a chance to improve even further.
I just love the way our O-line and defense are playing right now. I am thinking that these two units might be the best at UK in recent memory.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
100% agreed
Of course, it is somewhat unsettling to realize that our entire O-line are essentially seniors. We could be in for a dramatic drop off in production next year.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Guys if we get either of these QB's up to speed,
and get everyone else healthy, we can really make progress the second half of the season. Right now, not making mistakes is critical, and they are doing that. But imagine if we knew we had 250-300 yds passing to go with that running game right now??We would have beaten Auburn by 3 TD’s.
Remember, we're having fun now!!!
Newton showed that he definitely
has the ability – the question is whether he can improve his accuracy. The guy has a cannon for an arm, and runs very well.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
--O.W.
Imagine if Brooks had an offense AND a defense to work with...
in the same year. That was a great game called by Joker…ride your hot hand(s). given that auburn is out of position so much, the counter and play action on the winning drive were smart, smart football plays. Good win, Cats.
"Hollywood made a movie of my life. The film had me proposing to my wife on the football field. I would never misuse a football field that way." -Crazy Legs Hirsch
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 19, 2009 2:30 PM EDT reply actions
Thanks.
You know, it’s funny — they failed to ride the hot hand against USC and it cost us a chance at the game. I guess they learned their lesson.
Good luck the rest of the season.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
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